early upgrade?

[ttipgem]

If you are trying to enroll in "Early Edge", then yes, you have to turn your phone in.  If you are signing up for "regular" Edge (meaning that you are already eligible for a subsidized upgrade), then you don't have turn your phone in.

http://support.verizonwireless.com/support/faqs/Equipment/vz-edge.html

What is Early Edge Open Enrollment?

Early Edge Open Enrollment is a limited-time option to participate in the Verizon Edge program. You can get your choice of the latest smartphone sooner than you would under a traditional 2-yr contract.

If you’ve had your current phone since 11/13/13, you may be eligible to purchase a 4G LTE smartphone through the Verizon Edge program. You’ll pay for your phone in monthly payments.

To be eligible for Early Edge, you must meet all the following:

• Be eligible for Verizon Edge
• Have had your phone since 11/13/13 or longer
• Return your phone in good working condition*

The Early Edge Open Enrollment option will be available 2/13/14 - 4/30/14.

Note: You must return the phone that was on your line at the time you placed your Verizon Edge order, and it must be returned to Verizon Wireless within 14 days of receiving your new phone. If you do not, you may be charged a non-return fee of up to $200.

[rcschnoor]

You only have to turn in your phone when signing up for Edge if you have not yet finished your current contract. Don't want to turn it in, simply wait until your contract is complete, you could use Verizon's Device Payment Plan or you could pay full retail price up front and then sell your phone to recoup part of the phone cost.

[rcschnoor]

sbennett24 wrote:

Is there any allowances given to customers that pay their bill in full each month on time?

Yes, you don't have to pay late fees, reconnect fees, go without service, etc...

[xnfsx]

did you know at&t allows you to keep your phone.

VZW is a rip off.

[rcschnoor]

I'm not sure what this is supposed to mean. Verizon allows you to keep your phone, too.

However BOTH providers offer programs where you are required to turn your phone in when getting a new device. With Verizon, this would be the Edge plan. With AT&T, this would be the Next plan. With BOTH of these plans, you are required to turn in your phone when upgrading UNLESS you reach the point where you have paid off the full retail value of the phone. THEN you would not be required to turn in your phone.

Does this make AT&T a rip off, too?

Of course, you should go with the plan which best fits your needs. For someone who wants to upgrade more often and is unwilling/unable to pay full retail cost for a phone, these plans MAY suit you. For others, not so much.

[xnfsx]

For AT&T if you are under contract at the moment, you can proceed to upgrade to the AT&T next program. However, you can use your 'contract' phone and do not have to return that phone BACK to AT&T.

For Verizon, you have to return your contract phone and therefore MUST get a EDGE phone.

I dont care about buying a phone straight out. I can sell it back for 500 bucks if the phone was 700 out right. The fact that Verizon requires you to wait till the end of your contract inorder to keep your phone where as at&t does not require you to do that is the reason why VZW is a rip off.

[xnfsx]

For AT&T this was confirmed by 5 of my coworkers who are currently 10 months into their contract. They upgraded to NEXT and were able to use their iphone 5 and NOT pay any installments.

[rcschnoor]

Possibly you don't realize what the Edge and Next plans are. Those plans are simply installment plans to purchase a new phone. If you are not purchasing a new phone, you are NOT on those plans.

With your friends at AT&T, if they are using their "current" phone and not purchasing a new phone, they are not on the Next plan since the Next plan is simply what AT&T calls it's installment plan to purchase a phone. If they don't purchase a phone and make installments, they are not on the Next plan.

[xnfsx]

They have the next plan. They are able to keep their OLD iphone 5 and still get the NEW iphone 5s. They sold the iPhone 5s and continued to use the iphone 5. Giving up a mere 50 dollars to get off of contract and still save over 100 on their bill for 4 lines (they only pay 160 for 4 lines 10 gb data) is well worth it.

Currently with verizon, i pay 280 for 4 lines for 10 gigs. Verizon requires you to return your contract phone where as at&t does not (if you are still in contract that is). For verizon you'd have to wait until your contract is over.

In the end, the shit is similar but AT&T wins because you get two phones - one kept from the contract and one for the NEXT (once you sell the new phone or old phone, it pretty much cancels out). In Verizons case, you lose out because you'd have to completely return the old phone.

[rcschnoor]

You have conflicting statements here. If your friends are not paying installments as you claim, then how did they purchase their phone on the Next plan. Being on the Next plan requires you to choose installment payments based on a 20 or 26 month term. Which is it, are they paying installments or not? If not, then they are not on Next.

According to the ATT website, you must be upgrade eligible to qualify for Next, which means you have completed your contract, so some of your other statements don't make sense.

You have made statements that your friends are on Next but they are not paying installments. They purchased new phone but are still using their old phones because they sold their new phones???? Do they realize that with the Next plan you need to turn in the phone you purchase in order to upgrade before they complete all of their installment payments? But as you claim, they are not paying installments as required to be on the Next plan.

To me it sounds as if you are blowing smoke. Good luck.☺